Last Updated on November 18, 2019
November seems to be quite the popular month for birthdays out here amongst the wives’ group – including mine in a few weeks! We have started making it tradition to go out to lunch with all of the wives to celebrate. This week we all met up at one of the few burger spots in the area and also went out to dinner and drinks in downtown Gunsan. There is one spot called, TLC, which everyone refers to as “Magic Bar”. They literally do magic right there in front of you – and they’re really good at it! They also will perform little fire shows for you throughout the evening.
The wives’ group isn’t the only one celebrating birthdays this week, though. Deogie (yes, pronounced D-O-G), our mini Goldendoodle, is celebrating his very first birthday today! Unfortunately, we are unable to be with him to celebrate. We got Deogie early this year anticipating on bringing him to Korea with us. We spent a good five months with him; training him, loving him, playing with him, and maybe dealing with a few frustrations in between (what new puppy doesn’t come with frustrations?).
After going through all of the mandatory vaccinations in order to bring Deogie overseas with us, we ultimately decided it wasn’t the best idea for him. Our main concern was having him fly to and from South Korea. We were leaving in mid-July and the temperature has to be under 80 degrees Fahrenheit in order to fly with your pet. Depending on the temperature to fly in the middle of summer was not going to be ideal. I would have had to stay back with him if it was over that temperature. Deogie is also too big to fit in the cabin and would have had to fly in cargo. We heard of way too many horror stories in the news of pets dying in cargo and did not want to risk that. Upon arriving to Korea, if we did not have all of the correct paperwork, Deogie may have had to be quarantined as well, which in some cases can take up to two weeks—and the airport is not close to us, about a 4-hour bus ride one way.
In regards to our living situation, we do live in a pet-friendly apartment right off base, but unfortunately, the apartments are quite small and would not give Deogie any room to run and play. The area is also not as dog-friendly as one would hope either. There are not many places to walk them or let them off the leash. Plus, there are a lot of stray dogs all over the place that would be of concern when taking him out.
Ultimately, there were many more cons than pros to bringing Deogie with us to Korea. The good thing, though, is that this is only a one-year assignment. We will be going back to Las Vegas for a few years after this and will be able to get a nice big house with a backyard for the little guy. In the meantime, Deogie’s grandparents (the hubby’s parents), had offered to watch him while we were away. Deogie has settled right in, has made great friends, and is loving having tons of space and access to the backyard whenever he wants.
For his birthday, the hubby and I both sent him one of our “dirty” socks with our scent on them so he could remember us. (*Side note: Please do not send me your dirty socks for my birthday in a few weeks…thanks). Deogie seemed to love the socks. Only a few more months until we get to be with him again. In the meantime, we are taking this opportunity to travel when we have the chance and explore on the weekends. Speaking of, we have an exciting new adventure coming up next week – you may not hear from me until after. Stay tuned! Until next time, Catch the Drift!
Ta ta for now, drifters!
XO,
Kylie
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